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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

As I stated in another thread, I intend to soon unload my Yamaha Arius YDP-181 in favor of a more portable model. I bought it a little over 2 years ago for about $1600, and she still looks and sounds as good as she did on unpacking day.

What would be a reasonable sales price on, say, Craigslist? I have no idea what kind of depreciation these pianos have. To my knowledge, this is still the same model being sold new in the stores, so that must count for something.

Judging from Craigslist pricing on used DPs in general, I'd say it appreciated to at least $1900! ;-) [ie, I just bought a new DP for like $300 less than some guy on CL was asking for an 18 month old used slab ...]

There might be someone in your area just hopping for that model, or maybe you have to discount the price a lot to move it. You just have to go fishing, if you're not in a hurry.

Since the quoted price is $1700 now, then figure $1400 after haggling, so someone buying used for 2 years, probably little or no warranty left, might jump at $850 to $1150? Or go fishing for $1400 for the non-negotiating shopping ...

I agree that some Craigslist sellers are just out to lunch on their asking price. Still wonder what people generally get for a 2 year old keyboard? 20% less than new? 50%? I think I would be satisfied if I could get $1000, and certainly think the buyer would be getting a helluva deal.

I checked the Los Angeles area Craigslist every week for several months before buying a demo unit (Casio PX-150). Most Craigslist sellers seemed to list for about 80% of the current street price. Most items didn't sell. I often saw the exact same items (same pics, same city, same selling price) over and over again.

Keep in mind that there are often 10% or 15% off promotions or coupons, and that demo units or refurbished units might be 20% to 25% off the street price for the price conscious buyer.

There is no way to know an exact answer. A seller might luck into a buyer, or might have to wait and wait even with a good price. A used unit with a current street price of $1700 is a big purchase for most would-be buyers, so there is a big luck factor. If it were me, and I wanted to move the unit, I'd start at about $1300 and move down from there until it sells.

Some stores take consignments, though they charge a good bit for the service. A consignment avoids having people come to your home, and lets floor traffic see the unit.

Hey, thinking about the other end of the exchange, just wondering if anyone knows how often Guitar Center offers those 15% off coupons. I notice they have one for Presidents' Day through the 19th. I don't really want to act this weekend, but if it is only once every 6 months...

Yeah, I'd start around $1300 and move down slowly over time. Remember the limiting fact a lot of times is whether someone who is looking has seen it, not the price (though where you live that may not be as true as it is here in the middle of nowhere). Even if eager, you can probably still sell it for over $1000. It's a pretty new model.

Just sold it in less than 48 hours. As Sand Tiger recommended, I posted for $1300 and immediately started getting nibbles. I allowed myself to be talked down to $1150, but I'm pretty sure I could have sold it at asking price with a little patience to wait for the right buyer. I'm always an impatient seller which is probably why I'm such a terrible negotiator. Based on the number of emails I got from my Craigslist ad (and one obvious scammer), I would say these keyboards are fairly desirable.

I'm debating on selling a keyboard on Craigslist. I've never used it for either buying or selling. I've used eBay for years, but won't use them anymore for high dollar items. What type of scammers would I need to look out for selling a keyboard on Craigslist?

What type of scammers would I need to look out for selling a keyboard on Craigslist?

The main ones are those that start by sending an email saying something like "is the item still available?" or "I want to buy this" without ever mentioning the name of the product or asking sensible questions about condition, etc. If you respond, you'll get asked to complete the transaction remotely, and if you proceed you'll essentially be robbed.

Also be wary about anyone who asks to meet you somewhere away from your home, as there have been one or two nasty incidents with people being mugged.

However, if you apply commonsense, you can smell a fishy deal a mile off, and the vast majority of people are honest and straightforward. I've sold a lot of keyboards via Craigslist, and if you price them sensibly (bearing in mind there are no fees, and that people do their research before buying big-ticket items), they usually sell within a reasonable period.

_________________________"you don't need to have been a rabbit in order to become a veterinarian"

Thanks for the responses on the scammer question. I definitely would only accept cash, and as paranoid as I am, would want a good feeling about a person before even inviting them over to pick it up.

Sorry, Elkayem. I didn't even think when I asked that question that I might be highjacking your thread. I think you ended up with a reasonable price given the the age. I guess like car's, the initial depreciation of a keyboard happens when its taken home and un-boxed. It's likely that further depreciation is going to be much less over the next 2 years for the buyer.

Just sold it in less than 48 hours. As Sand Tiger recommended, I posted for $1300 and immediately started getting nibbles. I allowed myself to be talked down to $1150, but I'm pretty sure I could have sold it at asking price with a little patience to wait for the right buyer. I'm always an impatient seller which is probably why I'm such a terrible negotiator. Based on the number of emails I got from my Craigslist ad (and one obvious scammer), I would say these keyboards are fairly desirable.

I am glad to hear it worked out. There is a lot to be said for a relatively quick and easy sale without any drama.

As to what kind of scams, as others have mentioned, the most common scam is someone that wants the item shipped, and to pay electronically. Other scams might be someone trying to pass a bad check, or those that try to steal the item.

Yeah, to the OP, decent price. Especially in larger metropolitan areas, nice DP's sell very well on craigslist. I remember selling my Yamaha P80 for $600 many years after buying it new for $900 and I had people practically banging down my door for it.

Ron88, by all means please hijack this thread. Part of the fun of these forums is the life the threads can take on. I have sold a variety of items on Craigslist, including a number of cars, furniture, and even a telescope, and have always had positive encounters with customers. As voxpops said, you can safely ignore the emails asking "is item still available?". Anyone who takes the time to come to your house to look at what you are selling is a motivated buyer, just make sure they pay cash or some other form of payment you trust. For cars, I often meet the buyer at their bank for their transaction, which is a neutral location where they can get a bank check. PayPal works too, but there is a fee. There are the horror stories out there but I'm guessing that they are extremely rare compared to the countless normal transactions, and can be easily avoided with a little common sense.

Just sold my PX-330 for 64% of new from 6 months ago. I could have held out for another $50 (7-8%) probably, but I'm squeezed for time this week, and new gear is arriving soon. Really the best part was that their whole Japanese family came over with the kids who it is for, and they took it all apart, and it all went downstairs piece by piece to their trusty family minivan! I feel like I did a good thing today. Kids and their energy! Sigh ...